A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Queens Library's Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center proudly presents “America is a Dream… A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Please join us to learn about the struggle for civil rights and enjoy this all-day blend of speakers, film, dramatic presentation and live music on Saturday, April 4, ...

Invest in Libraries! Invest in New Yorkers!

Queens Library, Brooklyn Public Library and the New York Public Library have come together to let Mayor De Blasio and the New York City Council know that NYC’s librariesneed more funding to stay open more hours and address our capital needs.

Teen Battle of the Bands

Many bands will enter but only one will be chosen as the winner of the first ever Teen Battle of the Bands. Come and watch local teen bands battle. Join us at the Flushing branch on April 7, 5-7 PM. For FREE tickets and more information, click here.

Help Us Find the Next Queens Poet Laureate!

The search is on! Borough President Melinda Katz, Queens College and Queens Library are partnering together to find the next Queens Poet Laureate, who will be charged with promoting a love of poetry and literacy throughout our borough.

Queens Library is happy to join the Poet Laureate partnership for the first time this year, and ...

Need Help With the NYPD Exam?

Are you interested in the NYPD Police Officer Entrance Examination? The NYPD Recruitment Section is offering a free tutorial program at the Central Library for all applicants who are interested in taking the exam.

Noted elder-law and estate-planning attorneys will present strategies and consult with you on aspects of elder law, powers of attorney, estate and disability planning, and long-term care. You will learn how to gain income and avoid estate taxes while providing for heirs and charitable interests. You will also gain insights into preserving wealth and increasing lifetime income.

History

The earliest known inhabitants of Bay Terrace were the Matinecock Native Americans, a tribe of the Algonquin nation. The tribal name Matinecock, meaning "hilly country", described the surrounding landscape, an area that may have been given to the tribe by the neighboring Lenapes.

In 1639, Dutch Governor Willem Kieft purchased the land from the Matinecock that today encompasses Queens County. William Lawrence, who served as a magistrate under the Dutch and English administrations, was granted a parcel of land by King Charles II in 1645 that included a large portion of what is today the areas of Bayside, Whitestone, Fort Totten and College Point. Bayside developed from an agricultural community to a suburb when the North Shore Railroad was extended in 1866. During the following several decades, the Bayside Land Association purchased farms for development. Bay Terrace, originally included within the bounds of Bayside, remained composed of farms and large estates until the 1950s, when Cord and Charles Meyer sold their 225-acre farm for development.

Bay Terrace was the name given in 1953 to the cooperative housing development built by the Norman K. Winston-Holzer Associates, because of its proximity to Little Neck Bay.

On February 20, 1981, the Bay Terrace library opened in the modern city-owned building at the present site.